He likens it to the "liver wars" that began in 1998. According to published reports, at least six state legislatures passed bills defying a federal regulation requiring that organs be made available first to the sickest patients within each region. Previously, priority had been given to local patients who had waited the longest for a transplant — even if they were comparatively healthy.

Six years of lawsuits, negotiation and compromise followed. But, ultimately, the new rules gained widespread acceptance. Roberts hopes for a similar outcome for Segev and Gentry's new formula.

"There easily could be action in Congress to delay any changes," Roberts says. "But, my sense is that we're in a different place now. More people are seeing that there is a bad problem that might be fixed by making the system more fair."

mary.mccauley@baltsun.com

Dorry Segev

Age: 41

Birthplace: Israel

Residence: Canton

Day job: Transplant surgeon, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Education: Bachelor's degree in computer science and electrical engineering, Rice University. Medical degree and Ph.d. in clinical investigation from Hopkins. . Master's in biostatistics and Ph.D. in clinical investigation from Hopkins.

Sommer Gentry

Age: 35

Birthplace: California

Residence: Canton

Day job: Assistant mathematics professor, U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis

Education: Bachelor's and master's degrees in computer science from Stanford University. Ph.D., electrical engineering and computer science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

  • Text NIGHTLIFE to 70701 to sign up for Baltimore Sun nightlife and music text alerts